Rivalry : a geisha's tale by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)105
editions published
between
1917
and
2011
in
4
languages
and held by
1,106 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide
"Rivalry tells a sweeping story in which sexual politics compete with sisterly affection in a world ruled by material transaction.
Komayo is a former geisha who, upon the death of her husband, must return to the "world of flower and willow" to escape poverty.
A chance encounter with an old patron, Yoshioka, leads to a relationship in which both lovers hope to profit: Yoshioka believes
Komayo can restore his lost innocence; Komayo plans to use Yoshioka's patronage to compete in the elaborate music and dance
performances staged by her fellow geisha. Yoshioka is eager to ransom Komayo, but as she considers his offer, Komayo falls
in love with Segawa, a young actor who promises to turn the talented geisha into the finest dancer in the Shimbashi quarter.
Though her feelings for Segawa are genuine, Komayo is eager to use her lover's position to become the lead performer among
her peers. Her ambition even tempts her to take on a third patron known only as the "Sea Monster" ... Though she finds herself
at the pinnacle of a glittering career, Komayo nevertheless becomes the target of a bitter rivalry between her three lovers
that leaves her both thrilled and exhausted, both brutalized and redeemed. Kafu's compelling tale takes readers from the intimate
corners of the geisha house to the back rooms of assignation, from the dressing areas of the great kabuki theaters to the
lonely country villa of a theater critic and connoisseur of Shimbashi women. His lush depictions of architecture and costumes
and his incisive descriptions of urban life and individual motive provide a vivid backdrop for Komayo's struggle-one woman's
absorbing quest to find fame, affection, and financial security in the refined but ruthless theater of Shimbashi."--Publisher's
description

Nagai Kafū shū by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)56
editions published
between
1927
and
1997
in
Japanese
and held by
276 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide

Bokutō kitan by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)67
editions published
between
1937
and
2014
in
3
languages
and held by
96 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide

Kafū zenshū by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)7
editions published
in
1994
in
Japanese
and held by
88 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide

La Sumida by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)14
editions published
between
1975
and
1995
in
French and Undetermined
and held by
81 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide

Le Bambou nain : roman by Kafū Nagai(
Book
)26
editions published
between
1920
and
1998
in
Japanese and French
and held by
73 WorldCat member
libraries
worldwide